


look how they shine for you

by littlelooneyluna



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Family, Gen, M/M, Roblivion, aaron is sad and upset :(, based on a tumblr prompt, liv's birthday, rob/liv cuteness, robs a good big brother you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 06:04:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9806450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlelooneyluna/pseuds/littlelooneyluna
Summary: it's liv's birthday and aaron forgets, robert doesn't.





	

**Author's Note:**

> so i got this lovely prompt on tumblr about aaron forgetting liv's birthday but robert actually remembering and this happened, hope you all enjoy it - especially the lovely one who gave me this gem to write about!

Robert's up early, he's ridiculously tired but Nicola's expecting him to have a presentation sorted for a client.

  
Aaron had grumbled something in his ear about Robert being his own boss as he left him in bed. It nearly made Robert jump back under the sheets but his business brain was already kicking into gear as he paddled down the stairs.

  
Robert has a mug in front of him, he should probably have a coaster, Chas would probably say something, God _Diane_ would probably say something but he doesn't care because no ones up.

  
He hears footsteps on the stairs, turns and then hears someone scuffling near the back door. It's Liv, she comes through the door like she doesn't expect any one to be awake and Robert just smiles at her.

  
"What ya doing down here?" Liv asks, squints a little and then she holds the post to her chest.

  
"Boring business stuff." Robert says and then he smiles at her, "What ya doing down here?" He realises that he'll pretend that he doesn't know, thinks that Aaron'll probably do the same.

  
Liv shrugs her shoulders. "Dunno, just got up early." She says before sitting on the chair near the table and getting her phone out. She smiles down at it and Robert's heart sings a little, feels a warm glow take over him because she's probably just read a message from Gabby.

  
"Fancy a cuppa?" Robert asks her, feels like he should but she doesn't hear him, or does but is too wrapped up in sending a text back.

  
The door clicks open and Aaron walks in, his hair all ruffled and face soft from sleep. Liv looks up at him almost expectantly and Aaron just smiles at her.

  
"Why ya up so early? It's half term." Aaron approaches the sofa, briefly touching Robert's hand and squeezing it before he walks towards Liv.

  
"Yeah well I - ya know I thought that -" Liv seems a little flustered, like she doesn't want to say that it's her birthday and she's up early because she wants to answer Gabby's messages, check the mail, just be a normal teenager on her birthday.

  
"Thought what?" Aaron asks, tilts his head a little and then folds his arms over until Liv frowns at him, she looks at him for a few seconds and then she shakes her head.

  
Robert feels awful, he wants to say something. He wants to just say, 'Oh c'mon Aaron just say happy birthday and stop being a tease' but then it dawns on him. Maybe Aaron actually doesn't -

  
"Forget it." Liv says suddenly, like she's come to the small realisation. Aaron frowns at her, catches her arm as she goes to stand and leave the room.

  
"Hey what's wrong, what have I done?" Aaron's voice is a little high, he seems genuinely upset and Robert _knows_ he's forgotten.

  
"Maybe just - just let her go eh?" Robert says a little softly.

  
"No," Aaron says, his gaze still on Liv. "Liv?"

  
Liv looks towards the floor and then sighs. "You really _did_ forget then?" She sounds so sad and Robert's heart goes out to her.

  
Aaron holds his breath, he doesn't even dare say 'forget what?' because he knows she isn't this upset over something silly.

  
Liv rolls her eyes and shoves away from Aaron, "My birthday." She says, like she doesn't really want to say it but feels this need still to put her brother out of his misery.

  
Aaron's face falls, he remembers instantly, feels his stomach twist and knows that he can't say anything to make it right. Liv sighs and then steps aside, she's climbing the stairs before Aaron can say anything to her. Anything at all that might help.

  
Robert bites his tongue, doesn't know if saying something will help but then Aaron slowly sits next to him and he tries.

  
"Don't beat yourself up over this." It's soft, comforting even but Aaron doesn't want to hear any softness.

  
Aaron's head is in his hands and he shakes his head hard, "I'm _pathetic_ , how could I -" he shudders a little and then pauses. "Ya know I knew it was soon, I _knew_ but I was just -"

  
"You had other things going on." Robert looks down towards the floor. "Seriously Aaron, she'll calm down."

  
Aaron seems to settle, just a little and he blows at a breath. "She shouldn't have to." He says slowly but then he attempts a little smile. "At least I'm not the only one who forgot." He tilts his head a little at Robert.

  
Robert looks at him, his beautiful fiancé who's troubled and hates himself already for forgetting his sister's fifteenth birthday and - he just wants to share the guilt doesn't he? He wants to feel like he wasn't alone, that Robert fucked up too. That he isn't Mr Perfect. Mr Organised, who never lets anything slip through his fingers or crumble under pressure. 

  
Robert nods, smiles at Aaron and tries to make out that he hadn't set an alarm on his calendar for this exact date just so he _wouldn't_ forget.

  
"Right pair of brothers we are eh."

  
It hangs in the air and Robert's heart does something almost irregular as he hears it. He is her brother, he thinks, he will be properly when they do manage to make it up the aisle. It makes his smile and he knows Aaron's smiling too.

 

~

 

Aaron's spoken to her, Robert had listened by the door of her room and tried to give them space but failed.

  
Aaron cried and Liv told him to stop being soft, sad something about him owing him a massive present tomorrow and he agreed.

 

~

 

"She alright then?" Robert asks, he's tucked in Aaron's side, laid out on the sofa.

  
Aaron nods down, "Once I get her something massive and over the top." He says and kisses his head lovingly, it makes Robert's inside burst.

  
"Where did that come from?" Robert says, a smile tugging at his mouth as he shifts his body and looks up at Aaron.

  
Aaron shrugs and then he's blushing a little, "Nowhere." He looks towards the sofa and then up again. "Well, I just - thanks, for not judging me, calling me an idiot for not remembering." He has a hand tangled up in Robert's. "Not letting me feel too guilty."

  
Robert nods slowly, "It's what I'm here for." He whispers, his lips close to Aaron's. "Always," he adds before Aaron pushes their mouths together and they end up kissing each other senseless on the sofa until Aaron complains about being tired and Robert knows not to push him because he knows _Aaron_ and his fiancé is still annoyed at himself and probably still guilty about it all.

  
"How about you go up to bed, I'll join ya in a bit." Robert circles Aaron's hand and then kisses it.

  
Aaron sighs and stands slowly, smiling down at Robert and then shaking his head. "I don't deserve ya." It comes out before Aaron can properly filter like he usually does.

  
Robert lifts an eyebrow and Aaron looks a little shyly at him.

  
"Or Liv." Aaron adds, still a little tentative. "You're so good to me and all I do is just let ya -"

  
"If you say let us down then - then I'll have to shut ya up." Robert says quickly and Aaron laughs, he actually laughs and Robert thinks for a few minutes that he's made Aaron the happiest man on earth.

 

~

 

Aaron's asleep and Robert's by the sink of the kitchen when Liv walks in. She's got a dressing gown and she smiles a little when she notices Robert.

  
"You alright?" Robert says, meeting Liv's eye and seeing her face in the moonlight that shines through the window.

  
Liv nods her head at Robert.

  
"Aaron's really upset ya know." Robert whispers to her, "He felt awful for not remembering -"

  
Liv frowns, "And you?"

  
Robert swallows and then there's a small shy smile on his face as he moves towards the space behind the small chair in the room, he digs down and grabs a nearly wrapped present.

  
"Happy birthday Liv." Robert says, knows it's probably the next morning but he doesn't care. He didn't know whether or not he'd give it to her, felt bad either way really but then he sees the way her eyes glisten, she looks like a little girl and he feels like an older brother as he scoots over a card.

  
Liv takes it slowly from Robert and opens it up,

 

_Liv,_

_Happy fifteenth, Aaron'll probably sign my name at the bottom of his but this is Aaron we're talking about so he might forget to even buy you one._

 

_You're not bad you know, quite like you really and I'll apprecaite you even more if the maturity hits you this year, please?_

 

_Love Robert (Aaron's fiancé - your soon to be brother-in-law !)_

 

 

Liv's a little shocked as she finishes reading it, doesn't trust herself to look up at Robert as she places it down and then unwraps the present. It's nothing big, nothing too extravagant, just a sketchbook and some oil pastels. He'd been online, searched around and found some decent ones, one that came in a nice wooden box and looked liked they'd work for years. 

  
Robert clears his throat, "I'm sick of ya drawing me as a monkey in those God awful crayons of yours."

  
Liv blushes hard, doesn't say anything for a few seconds before she realises what Robert's said to her.

  
"Aaron showed me the drawing." Robert says, "Caught him laughing his head off in our room." He adds, a fond memory circles his mind.

  
Liv has delicate hands over the sketch pad, "I thought ya - "

  
"How could I forget when I've got it saved on my phone." Liv looks like she doesn't know whether to laugh or cry, either way it's out of happiness and it makes her insides bursts. "It's not Aaron's fault he isn't as ridiculously organised as I am."

  
Liv frowns, "Aaron said you didn't -"

  
Robert shrugs his shoulders and leans closer to her a little, "I didn't want him to feel bad, feel like he was awful for forgetting when he shouldn't, so just - don't tell him alright."

  
Liv bites her lip, like she didn't expect Robert to be that nice and soft. "Thought you'd want to earn brownie points but - when ya put it like that ..."

  
"Yeah. I suppose." Robert feels a little awkward, it's clear that Liv is seeing him different now and he doesn't know how to feel.

  
Liv looks down at the pastels again, they must have cost a bit, not a lot but, a bit and she's been into Hotten so many times and looked for nice ones, they didn't sell ones like this she knows.

There's not a lot to actually say but -

"Thanks."

  
Robert rolls his eyes, "It's only a plain book and pastels Liv."

  
Liv smiles, it's genuine and Robert sees how young she is, all the frowns and sadness has gone. She's shining.

  
"No it's not." Liv says simply, a little shrug and then she punches at Robert's arm playfully. "You're a decent big brother you." She says, like she doesn't mean it really.

  
Robert's eyes flutter though and then his long arms hold her close for a few seconds because despite how she said it, she meant it, she really did and that's enough for him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> ...like my last fic, it's meant to hit you right in the rob/liv feels, hoped you enjoyed this! Xx


End file.
